Maison Fare - Mixing & Kneading by Hand

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Weigh Out Water

Take out your mixing bowl and scale, and weigh out 391g of warm water, 100°F temp, into your mixing bowl. If you don't have an instant read thermometer, use this rule: if you can't hold your finger in the water for 5 seconds, it's too hot.

Take out your mixing bowl and scale, and weigh out 357g of warm water, 100°F temp, into your mixing bowl. If you don't have an instant read thermometer, use this rule: if you can't hold your finger in the water for 5 seconds, it's too hot.

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Weigh Out Dry Ingredients

Use a precision scale to weigh out:

- 539g bread flour
- 12g salt
- 6g malted barley (optional - boosts fermentation & darkens crust)

Use a precision scale to weigh out:

- 150g starter
- 525g bread flour
- 12g salt
- 6g malted barley (optional - boosts fermentation & darkens crust)

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Combine

Add your entire levain to the water and break it up into 4-6 smaller pieces, then pour the dry ingredients on top. Combine everything with your dough whisk. It may take a few minutes for the flour to fully absorb the water.

If needed, use a wet hand to fold and squeeze the dough a few times, or let it rest for a few minutes before continuing. Mix until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy mass.

Add your starter to the water and stir briefly to disperse it, then pour the dry ingredients on top. Combine everything with your dough whisk. It may take a few minutes for the flour to fully absorb the water.

If needed, use a wet hand to fold and squeeze the dough a few times, or let it rest for a few minutes before continuing. Mix until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy mass.

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Start Kneading

For kneading the dough, find a clean dry work surface (usually your kitchen counter) at least 3×3’ in size. Use your plastic scraper to move the dough from the bowl to the work surface.

Some gluten will form on its own over time, but kneading adds essential mechanical energy that fully strengthens the dough and helps ensure a good rise, even if fermentation timing isn’t perfect.

The dough will feel sticky at first but will quickly become smoother and stronger as you knead. We recommend the “Slap and Fold” method, made popular by baker Richard Bertinet:

• Scoop the dough from both sides with your hands, lift it up, and “slap” the bottom third onto the surface so it sticks.
• Stretch the top portion up toward your chest, spreading your hands apart as you pull. Once you feel resistance or it starts to tear, fold it back over the section that's sticking to the surface.
• Grab the sides again and repeat the motion.

Do slap and folds for 5 minutes, then let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

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Re-Gather & Keep Kneading

Use your dough scraper and hand to shape the dough back into a ball and do another round of "slap and fold" for 5 minutes, re-shaping as needed. Give the dough another 5 minute rest, then go to the next step.

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Windowpane Test

Bakers use the windowpane to test if the dough is strong enough to rise in the oven.
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Use both hands to pinch some dough, then slowly stretch it up and away. You want to see that the dough doesn’t tear easily and can form a strong, taut sheet or "window" that you can see light through. If the dough tears easily, go back to the previous step for another round of “slap & fold” followed by a 5 minute rest.

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Successful Windowpane

Once you achieve a windowpane, move onto the next step.

If you are a beginner and having trouble achieving a windowpane, it's okay to move on, kneading is a challenging skill and takes practice. A stand mixer makes this part much easier; it’s an expensive but worthwhile investment to make as you get deeper into your bread journey.